slightly.
She stands up and starts moving about the room, the folds of her sleeveless burgundy dress moving effortlessly with her. When I’ve asked her why she still wears clothes from the thirties she replies, quoting my favourite all-time female icon Audrey Hepburn, “Elegance is the only beauty that never fades”.
She keeps her head down, tapping her chin thoughtfully. ‘There is
something
, Shem. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it feels…unsettling.’
I realise now that I can feel it too. The dreams, Julian, my mood swings, the feeling of dread that sometimes sits heavily against my chest; it is all related.
What is going on
?
‘Ama, what do you think it is?’ I ask.
She purses her lips, looking off across the room. ‘I’m not quite sure. But if feels heavy, like a dark shadow that falls across my path.’ She spins towards me suddenly. ‘You can feel it, can’t you?’ she says, stepping forward.
I nod. ‘I wasn’t sure. I just thought it was hormones or something. Everyone around me is acting kinda weird and I just thought that maybe—’
She moves so quick that I didn’t see her sit back down next to me and take my hand in hers.
Her green eyes lighten, reminding me of the old mood rings Phoebe and I used to have. ‘Tell me everything. And I mean
everything
, Elena.’
Chapter 4
I know that opening myself up will make me seem strange and slightly bonkers. The thought of revealing these secrets within me is like peeling back the delicate layers of a flower—each petal holds a thought, a dream, a desire.
I fiddle with my locket, knowing Mum would want me to be strong and have the courage to face whatever it is that is happening.
‘You can’t freak out, Ama. No matter what I say, alright?’
She straightens her back. ‘Alright.’
I take a deep breath. ‘At the track today, I saw Julian.’
Her mouth opens, and she looks like she is about to say something, but then thinks twice and presses her lips together, waiting for me to continue.
‘I don’t know why he is here, but if he has shown himself, then something is going on. I have a feeling that there may be another enemy involved. Whether it’s the Puritans or some other organisation, I don’t really know.’
Ama withdraws her hand slowly from mine and leans back into the sofa. I give her time to process.
‘There is something bothering me about this, Elena. If Julian is here then he must have known where you were.’
‘I suppose. I mean, I hadn’t thought of it like that. Wait…do you think he’s been watching me all this time?’
She nods her head. ‘It’s very possible. He did say in the letter that you would meet again.’
His words echo through me.
You will not see me for a while, but I will see you again, Elena. I hope that when we do meet in the future, you can see me for the man I truly am
.
It makes sense. But if he has been watching me all this time then he not only knows me, but he must also know everyone who is important to me.
A chill travels across my skin.
‘If he wanted to harm you, Shem, he could have done it already,’ Ama says, interpreting my thoughts.
Standing up I start to pace the room.
‘What else has happened? What is it you aren’t telling me?’ she asks worriedly.
Magi watches me pacing back and forth, her black, furry head bobbing from side to side like she’s watching a tennis match.
I stop and feel the wall I’ve built around myself begin to slowly come down. ‘It’s…my feelings.’
Ama sits forward, her eyes burning into me. ‘What do you mean?’
Squaring my shoulders, I turn and face her. ‘I’ve been having these…feelings, dreams, whatever you want to call them. I’m not sure what they mean.’ It’s not the whole truth. I can’t tell her that my feelings go deeper than I’m convincing myself they do.
Her gaze narrows. ‘What sort of dreams?’
In our family dreams aren’t just little fantasies we fall into at night. For us, dreams represent
She stands up and starts moving about the room, the folds of her sleeveless burgundy dress moving effortlessly with her. When I’ve asked her why she still wears clothes from the thirties she replies, quoting my favourite all-time female icon Audrey Hepburn, “Elegance is the only beauty that never fades”.
She keeps her head down, tapping her chin thoughtfully. ‘There is
something
, Shem. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it feels…unsettling.’
I realise now that I can feel it too. The dreams, Julian, my mood swings, the feeling of dread that sometimes sits heavily against my chest; it is all related.
What is going on
?
‘Ama, what do you think it is?’ I ask.
She purses her lips, looking off across the room. ‘I’m not quite sure. But if feels heavy, like a dark shadow that falls across my path.’ She spins towards me suddenly. ‘You can feel it, can’t you?’ she says, stepping forward.
I nod. ‘I wasn’t sure. I just thought it was hormones or something. Everyone around me is acting kinda weird and I just thought that maybe—’
She moves so quick that I didn’t see her sit back down next to me and take my hand in hers.
Her green eyes lighten, reminding me of the old mood rings Phoebe and I used to have. ‘Tell me everything. And I mean
everything
, Elena.’
Chapter 4
I know that opening myself up will make me seem strange and slightly bonkers. The thought of revealing these secrets within me is like peeling back the delicate layers of a flower—each petal holds a thought, a dream, a desire.
I fiddle with my locket, knowing Mum would want me to be strong and have the courage to face whatever it is that is happening.
‘You can’t freak out, Ama. No matter what I say, alright?’
She straightens her back. ‘Alright.’
I take a deep breath. ‘At the track today, I saw Julian.’
Her mouth opens, and she looks like she is about to say something, but then thinks twice and presses her lips together, waiting for me to continue.
‘I don’t know why he is here, but if he has shown himself, then something is going on. I have a feeling that there may be another enemy involved. Whether it’s the Puritans or some other organisation, I don’t really know.’
Ama withdraws her hand slowly from mine and leans back into the sofa. I give her time to process.
‘There is something bothering me about this, Elena. If Julian is here then he must have known where you were.’
‘I suppose. I mean, I hadn’t thought of it like that. Wait…do you think he’s been watching me all this time?’
She nods her head. ‘It’s very possible. He did say in the letter that you would meet again.’
His words echo through me.
You will not see me for a while, but I will see you again, Elena. I hope that when we do meet in the future, you can see me for the man I truly am
.
It makes sense. But if he has been watching me all this time then he not only knows me, but he must also know everyone who is important to me.
A chill travels across my skin.
‘If he wanted to harm you, Shem, he could have done it already,’ Ama says, interpreting my thoughts.
Standing up I start to pace the room.
‘What else has happened? What is it you aren’t telling me?’ she asks worriedly.
Magi watches me pacing back and forth, her black, furry head bobbing from side to side like she’s watching a tennis match.
I stop and feel the wall I’ve built around myself begin to slowly come down. ‘It’s…my feelings.’
Ama sits forward, her eyes burning into me. ‘What do you mean?’
Squaring my shoulders, I turn and face her. ‘I’ve been having these…feelings, dreams, whatever you want to call them. I’m not sure what they mean.’ It’s not the whole truth. I can’t tell her that my feelings go deeper than I’m convincing myself they do.
Her gaze narrows. ‘What sort of dreams?’
In our family dreams aren’t just little fantasies we fall into at night. For us, dreams represent
Similar Books
Weirwolf
David Weir
ParkCrestViewBundleNEW
Candace Mumford
Ruby Guardian
Thomas M. Reid
Sin Eater's Daughter 2 - The Sleeping Prince
Melinda Salisbury
Queens Noir
Robert Knightly
Power
Theresa Jones
Nemesis: Innocence Sold
Stefanie Ross
Indigo Sky
Gail Ingis
Tiger Woman on Wall Stree
Junheng Li
Supernatural: One Year Gone
Rebecca Dessertine